The present invention relates to a reusable stub-out cover.
In a typical plumbing installation of a sink or lavatory, the hot and cold water faucets are connected, respectively, to vertically disposed hot and cold water pipes running between studs behind the wall of the room in which the sink is installed. Either a T or a ninety-degree elbow provides a connection between the water pipe and a “stub-out” that extends horizontally outwardly through the wall. A small shut-off valve is installed on the end of the stub-out line, and a flex line is connected between the shut-off valve and the faucet.
During construction of a structure intended to include such a plumbing fixture, the water pipes and associated stub-out lines are installed prior to finish work. Finish work includes installation of walls, tile, hardwood floors or carpeting, and painting. Since the plumber must wait until such finish work is completed before installing and connecting the plumbing fixture to the stub outs, the outer ends of the stub-out lines are closed off to prevent water from passing therethrough. The stub-outs are either capped at one end in the plumber's shop, or are supplied with an integral conical seal on one end, such as stub-outs sold by Wirsbo.
During the finish work, plaster, paint, glue and other material is commonly deposited on the stub-outs. When the plumber returns to complete installation of the plumbing fixture, he/she must cut the stub-outs to the proper length to install the shut-off valves, and scrape and clean off the plaster, paint, etc. from the exposed outer surface of the stub-outs, which is laborious and time consuming.
In addition to deposits of plaster, paint, etc., stub-outs can also get scratched or dinged as work is conducted in their vicinity during finishing.
A further problem faced by the plumber installing a fixture is that it is often difficult to quickly determine which of the stub-outs is for cold water and which is for hot water, thereby slowing installation of the plumbing fixture.